Treatment
DH contingency plans for current Stapleford Centre GMC case & Urgent request to DATs
DH contingency plans for current Stapleford Centre GMC case & Urgent request to DATs
Doctors from the Stapleford Clinic are currently appearing before the General Medical Council. Without pre-judging the outcome, this letter from the Department of Health (DH) outlines contingency plans and urgent action points for DATs needed to prepare for a possible loss of access to health care at short notice for approximately 350 patients of the Stapleford Clinic. The NTA will be reviewing the 2006/07 DAT treatment plans that they receive in January 2006 to ensure that they appropriately reflect this issue in the key areas in London and the South-East, which would be affected.
priority: High - for immediate action
contact: Dr Soraya Mayet (soraya.mayet@nta-nhs.org.uk)
This letter from the DH follows the alert provided in the April 2005 DAT newsletter. This outlined that the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) had instructed DH and the NTA to develop contingency plans for the current GMC Stapleford Centre case. Although it could conclude at any time, it appears more likely that the GMC case may conclude in February or March 2006 or thereafter. The case involves a number of doctors from the Stapleford Centre, a private drug misuse treatment clinic based in London and Essex. The development by DH of the contingency plan should not be taken, in any way, to pre-judge the outcome of the case.
DH and the NTA are developing arrangements for the possibility that a loss of access to health care (including prescribing) for 350 or more patients could occur at short notice at the conclusion of the case. The majority of the patients may need prescribing and care from their local NHS specialist addiction services. The patients mainly reside in London and South East England. More detailed information on likely numbers in each area have been made available through the NTA regional managers. The key DATs should already be aware of that information.
In view of the potential numbers involved in this case, the CMO has exceptionally approved development of a ‘central’ contingency arrangement. This is to enhance the local approaches to meeting the health emergency generally, and in some areas to provide additional funding support in the initial phase for those patients.
Key areas in London and the South-East will also need to ensure that they have made adequate provision for potential patients in the next financial year DAT treatment plans due in January 2006. Action relating to this should be given a very high priority by DATs, health commissioners and treatment services.
